


"What if I don't see it?"

by truedi



Series: Fictober 2019 [5]
Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Artist Steve Rogers, Dating, Fictober2019, Fun, M/M, Painting, University, engineer bucky, short and cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-09 18:00:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20998991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/truedi/pseuds/truedi
Summary: AU Bucky met cute Arts student Steve. To get to know each other better, they decided to have look at each other's classes. Bucky already regrets agreeing to go to a painting class but he will make the best of it...hopefully.





	"What if I don't see it?"

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt 12 of Fictober: What if I don't see it? 
> 
> These prompts really give me an opportunity to practice different themes and genres again. I honestly feel so rusty!

The moment that nude model came out Bucky knew he should have called it quits. Of course, technically… he knew that artsy people sometimes painted…naked people. Whatever, but he had not anticipated that Steve would drag him to SUCH an art class. They had only been dating for a month maybe! He had never held a brush in his entire life except for when his grandma paid him to paint her house. 

It was an open practice class. Steve had still asked his teacher if he could bring a friend. A friend that had no skill or eye for the aesthetics whatsoever. Bucky was not ashamed to admit that! Well, he saw beauty in other things. Circuits and machinery most of all. For the hundredth time today, he wished he would have sad no and could just go work on his lab report. His lab report, however, was not as important as that cute arts guy right now. He was smitten by Steve ever since he saw him at the newbie college party. Bucky had helped organize his department’s presentation during introduction week and gotten a ticket for free. He had been relieved to find other second and third years at the party though. They had been gossiping about the new arrivals all night but here and there, Bucky had zoned out and focused on that blonde guy whose pants were cut tastefully and whose shirt was already messed up with alcohol he had spilled. 

Now Steve wore a shirt that was already messed up with previous paint he had used. 

“Bring like, an old shirt. Or just one that can get dirty <3,” he had advised Bucky via text message yesterday. 

And so he did. This shirt had never seen any paint, but it would suffer now. By the end of the day, Bucky swore he would look as cute as those other girls and guys in their aprons and paint shirts! And then Steve and him would passionately kiss while everybody cheered at Bucky’s raw talent! 

“Do you want me to guide you?”, Steve said quietly. The others had started working while Bucky had only stared at his canvas for the past minute. 

“Uh, yeah sure.” He snapped out of his confusion and took the brush. The model was sitting in the middle and did his best not to move while the art students studied him eagerly. Bucky felt himself blush. He had never stared so openly at a naked man. Even if he had wanted to. His mom had taught him manners. 

Patiently, Steve roughly showed him how to make a sketch. After they had figured out that Bucky possessed no talent whatsoever, he just said: “You know what? Just paint!” 

“Uhhh…”

“No, really! This is art! Let your inspiration guide you! It is supposed to be fun.”   
“But I have literally no idea how to do any of this?!” He whispered in sheer panic. The other students side-eyed them.

“Open your inner eye! See the colors around you and use them”, Steve made a vague gesture with his hands that Bucky could not interpret. 

“See the beauty in skin and bones! The curves, the edges! See the aesthetic in the human body!”

“What if I don’t see it?” 

Steve stopped his passionate speech and looked at Bucky. He shrugged casually.

“Then, I guess, this will be a mess.”

He sat back down and finished his own sketch. Bucky started sweating. He never felt so dumb. He wanted Steve to give him a formula. A method. So, he tried to copy what Steve did. His sketch turned out to be more of a stick figure than an actual human, but he kept on going. As confidently as he could, he took a small brush he deemed fitting, dunked it into some watercolor and placed his first strokes.   
He felt driven, passionate and most importantly: stubborn! He would get this! He was so into this! Nothing his mind could not fathom! It was like a sweet symphony, Bucky thought with every stroke he put down and the soft sound that came with it. 

In trance, he barely heard the bell ring that indicated the lesson to be over. In unison, though, he screamed out alongside it: 

“HAHA! IT IS DOOONE!”

The whole class looked at him. Some students in fear, some in anger about being disturbed. Bucky breathed heavily, put down his brush and grinned from ear to ear. He was proud. 

Steve leaned over to inspect the artwork. 

“Yeah, that’s a mess.”


End file.
